Sugar Tot blog covers the latest in toddler tech, product reviews, tips, and activities to do with your kids to help keep them learning and growing.

10/10/2014

I'm one of those moms that wears contacts on the daily and wears glasses only when I'm in sweats, have my hair tied in a messy bun and plan on having a lazy day in. I've had the same old pair of glasses for almost two years. They were once nice, but over the years got bent out of shape and were outdated. I tried out a pair of Firmoo Glasses and absolutely love them! Now I wear glasses more than my contact lenses.

The glasses shipped fast and came with a case and cleaning cloth. My glasses were prescription but you could also order non-prescription lenses. There are a ton of trendy and traditional frames. There's a really helpful feature on the Firmoo website that let's you upload your photo so you can see what you would actually look like with the glasses on. The price range is very affordable, about $20-$40 per pair of glasses so you can grab a couple different styles. My Firmoo Glasses get a lot more facetime then any of my other frames.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Compensation or product were gifted for this post. Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

09/23/2014

Baby D and I have been playing around with Shuttersong lately. Shuttersong is the first free mobile app that combines any digital image with up to 15 seconds of sound. It basically creates a single, shareable, high-quality JPEG file with sound. Shuttersongs captures milestones and everyday moments in time and, by adding voice, sound or music, they become multi-sensory, memorable and shareable creations.

It's a lot simpler than video, but richer than photos. If you have family far away, it's an easy and effective way to share memories with them without taking up all the space on their phone. Shuttersong lets you effortlessly combine digital images with sound and share them everywhere. You can share your “Shuttersong“ with family, friends and colleagues through social networks, email, or text. Shuttersong also works with existing photos in your library and images from the web, so you can create infinite image + sound combinations. You can even view your Shuttersong on the web or embed it into a blog post. The patent-pending technology joins the image and audio into a single photo file that can be viewed or printed just like a normal high-quality JPEG. Here's a Shuttersong Baby D made and sent to grandma and grandpa.

Keeping in touch with my non-tech savvy parents can be challenging. My parents like things simple. I've tried many times to send video to their phone, but either the video file was too large or they didn't understand how to play it. Shuttersong makes it much easy to share memories with them. I simply text them a Shuttersong and they receive it just like a photo on their phone. They press play and get to hear their grandson's giggle without having to download and wait for a video to load.

Want to learn more? Check out a video that shows you how to use the app. Shuttersong is available for free from the Apple App Store and Windows store. Creating and sharing Shuttersongs is simple and intuitive. #Shuttersongs can be shared via Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, email and SMS with more social networks to be added shortly. No app is required to view a Shuttersong – they can be viewed in any web browser. Melody, the app’s icon, is always on hand to assist and inspire.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Compensation or product were gifted for this post. Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

09/17/2014

Whooz stickers are defintely one of those products you never thought you'd need, but once you have it, you can't image your charged up life without it. Whooz are vinyl stickers for your iPhone and iPod chargers.

Each set comes with four different characters sticker sheets. Each character sheet includes stickers for the charger, USB cable and headphones. The package comes with easy to understand instructions, and diagrams.

The best part is that each character takes on a life of it's own, see all the Whooz characters here. Each character comes with it's own story. Apparently, Mr. Hi Yah here is the son of a toothfairy and a Shaolin Monk.

The sticker for the USB card is a tongue so you really can't help but giggle at the sassiness of each character. The stickers are made out of vinyl so they are super easy to take off and reuse.

I have to say, I think these Whooz stickers are..so...darn..awesome. It makes me chuckle a little to see Superlady charging up my iphone before I get to work in the morning.

Whooz stickers are great for families. Each family member can pick their own character, add the stickers to their charger, and you'll never have to worry about who's charger is who's. And if you lose your iPhone charger as often as I do, this is perfect for you. You can't miss SuperLady with her electric blue suit and hot pink hair.

Most people add personality to their iPhone and iPads by accessorizing them with fun, colorful covers and cases, but rarely do we think of accessorizing our iPhone chargers. Who knew something as simple as vinyl stickers would make a big difference. Whooz iPhone and iPad charger stickers are a fun and easy way to charge up with personality.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Compensation or product were gifted for this post. Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

09/08/2014

I generally try to cook big dinners at home that will last us a few days at a time. I love cooking, but after you cook big dinners through the week, it's always nice to let someone else cook. This time, I took a Monday off from the kitchen and we had family night out at Chronic Tacos. We ate at the Huntington Beach location, which was one of the original Chronic Taco locations. We've been to other locations, but the Huntington Beach one on 11th St. was pretty cool. Not only did it have yummy fresh Mexican food. It also had video games and pool tables for families to enjoy themselves while having dinner.

I had the carne asada tostada, the hubby had a chicken burrito and Baby D had the quesadilla. Everything was pretty tasty and fresh. The tostada I had was huge, and since I'm a tortilla chip addict, we scooped up the leftovers with chips :) I hate wasting food.

It was such a beautiful evening that we decided to have dinner al fresco. Nothing better then enjoying a family dinner outside on the patio with a view of the blue skies and palm trees.

And since I always love learning the stories behind a business. Here's the back story to how Chronic Tacos got started.

Randall L. Wyner was tired of having to jump in his car every time he craved a good taco. After a long night out in west Newport Beach, CA left Wyner and friend Daniel A. Biello disgruntled and hungry with no good local Mexican joints to choose from, the idea hit them right in their angry stomachs: Made-to-order Mexican food that was both fast and fresh. It could be something far superior to what the competition was offering. With more than just good food, it could be a place where they would want to hang out too. Through this idea, along with third-generation recipes they acquired from a close family friend,Chronic Tacos was born. Chronic Tacos opened up it's first location in Newport Beach, then Huntington Beach. Today there are more than 30 locations.

09/04/2014

Summer isn't quite over yet, so feel the sand betwen your toes and go to the Huntington Beach Food, Art & Music Festival. It starts today and runs the whole weekend Sept 5-7. The festival will take place at Oceanside at 21601 Pacific Coast Highway (where Huntington Beach Boulevard meets PCH). Try award-winning barbeque, admire the art, and dance the night away to live music. The musical lineup is legendary.

Here is a list of music performers:

Michelle Branch

Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray

Sheila E.

Gin Blossoms

Jefferson Starship

Blues Traveler’s John Popper

Don Dokken & more

The Huntington Beach Food, Art and Music Festival will also feature national award­winning BBQ rib teams straight from The BBQ Championships in Reno, Nevada, representing more than 10 states and Canada, showcasing their finest culinary selections to taste. Foodies can also expect to experience some of the best food trucks that Southern California has to offer.

100 juried artists selected through an extensive jury process will showcase a wide variety of talents and mediums including jewelry, painting, woodworking and photography.

Event tickets are on sale now at http://www.hbfest.com and can be purchased as a weekend pass or for individual days.

08/27/2014

This past week we took a family trip to Tanaka Farms in Irvine where we tasted some of Orange County’s freshest produce. We came for the watermelon tour, but were pleasantly surprised to be able to try a variety of different fruits and vegetables on the You Pick Tour (I love surprises).

08/17/2014

The first day of school is kind of a big deal, especially for preschoolers. Leaving the comfort of home isn’t easy, but it’s a huge milestone for both kids and parents. Prepare for the first day of school by creating an exciting, positive experience at home. It’s important to help kids feel confident and ready to tackle a new experience. Follow these tips to prepare for a great first day of school:

08/14/2014

There is absolutely nothing like taking your kids to their favorite ice cream spot. The taste and experience of ice cream is reminiscent of all things summer. Baby D and I have been trying to deny the fact that summer is coming to an end so we’ve kind of been on an ice cream, gelato, Italian Ice taste test. Here’s are the top 10 ice cream spots to try in Orange County. Little known fact--I used to work at a Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream when I was a wee little one, so this ice cream list was carefully curated by a refined, seasoned ice cream palate. I got your back.

07/22/2014

Storytime at the public library is still a tried and true method for teaching kids reading and literacy skills. With all the activities and kids-centric family parks and places in Orange County, I can't believe I've held off on taking Baby D to the storytime at the library until now. We visted the Huntington Beach Central Library for the Toddler Storytime. I was actually suprised to see how popular storytime at the library is. The room filled up with parents, grandparents and kids on an early Saturday morning.

03/22/2014

I’ve always found that toys with simple shapes give kids the most room for imagination and problem solving skills, and Nickster toys does just that. Nickster Toys pairs with the Nickster Playland app for an optimal learning experience. Each toy is made of 3-4 block-like pieces that fit together like a puzzle.